Copart Auction is one of the largest auction marketplaces for cars in North America. With auction sites across the US, is Copart open to the public? The answer is YES – but only access through websites like Auto Auction Mall, an authorized representative, that can get members of the public access through our licenses.
There are several ways to buy a car besides heading down to your local dealership. Auto auctions are one of the best and most popular. The reasons for this are clear: at auto auctions you can find a great variety of vehicles at very low prices, much lower than at your normal car dealership.
Benefits of Using Copart
There are plenty of car auctions out there, but Copart Auto Auctions is among the best. There are many reasons for this. Copart is an established company with a great reputation. Because Copart auctions take place online, the buyer does not need to attend the auction in person. They can bid on the vehicles online.
Copart has a huge inventory of about 125 thousand vehicles, of all makes and models, usually used or salvaged. These vehicles go for prices much lower than what you would find at your local dealership.
An Auction for Dealers
But there’s a reason why the prices vehicles go for at a Copart auction are much lower than the ones practiced at dealerships. Copart is where many dealers go to get their stock. Dealers take part in the auction and buy the vehicles for a price below retail. Then they add their markup, and that’s the price you end up paying for them when you buy at a dealership.
The thing is: Copart Auto Auctions were made for dealers. To take part in the auctions, you normally need to have a dealer license. Without one, you will not even be allowed to open an account at Copart, let alone bid on and buy any vehicles.
A dealer license shows that you are a registered auto dealer. This license is not easy to get. The requirements vary from state to state, but they usually include having a registered business and selling a relatively large number of vehicles per year. Be it as it may, getting a dealer license is beyond the capabilities of the average car buyer. Nor, for that matter, would it be worth the effort and expense.
So the simple answer is that Copart is not open to the public. However, this does not necessarily mean that you cannot take advantage of the great benefits of buying a vehicle at Copart Auto Auctions. There is a way around the need to have a dealer license.
Further Reading
- How to Keep Your Options Open at an Auto Dealer Auction
- Are there Alternatives to Copart Auction that are Open to the Public?
- About Copart Salvage Auto Auctions and Using Auto Auction Mall to Help you Buy Cars from Copart
- “Buy It Now” Copart – How to Make the Most of a Copart Car Auction?
Using Auto Auction Mall – A Copart Authorized Representative
As car auctions evolved with the times, many auto auction companies, such as Copart, have moved online. Still, the ‘dealer license’ requirement remained in place. But the fact that auto auctions now take place online also opens an opportunity for ordinary buyers.
You can use a proxy or link up with a company such as Auto Auction Mall that maintains a dealer license. For a fee, the company will grant you access to any of the Copart auto auctions you want to take part in. In effect, you will be borrowing the company’s dealer license to get access to Copart auctions.
So how does it work? Once you sign up with a broker or a third-party proxy company, you are given access to the inventory of any auction house and can see what’s on offer at any given auction, whether it is a public or a closed dealer auction.
You can’t bid, however, which is where the proxy company comes in. All you need to do is find the car that meets your requirements, set the budget, and let the proxy representative bid on your behalf.
The Benefits of Using a Third-Party Proxy Bidder
There are many benefits to using a proxy bidder. The first and most obvious is that this way you get access to dealer-only auctions. This is how you can take advantage of the many benefits of Copart auctions we mentioned before, especially the low prices and the huge variety of vehicles.
On top of that, because everything takes place online, you don’t have to go through the hassle of an auction environment that can get quite hectic, especially for a newcomer. This becomes even better when you work with a company like Auto Auction Mall which prides itself on the quality of its customer service. This is because you will get support from a team of auction specialists that will help you throughout the whole process. This help includes information of the vehicles, dealing with paperwork, and even arranging for shipping.
As we’ve mentioned above, the proxy bidder handles the bidding for you. But you are completely in control because it is you who sets the budget. This means you can set a bidding limit above which the proxy bidder is not allowed to go. This guarantees that you won’t end up spending more than you planned to or be dragged into a bidding war.
If you do miss a chance or two, the volume of vehicles sold through Copart is so big that there are certainly plenty of options out there, and one of those cars can be yours.
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